Lee Kang-in (23) has finally returned to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
PSG said on its official channel on the 23rd (Korea time), “Lee Kang-in returned to team training on Monday. The Taegeuk warrior, who helped him advance to the final Asian qualifying round for the FIFA World Cup in North Korea and China, returned to France after a proper vacation.”
“Lee finished his workout on Monday afternoon at the indoor training ground on the PSG campus,” he added, “and on Tuesday, he will do team training with his colleagues.”
Lee Kang-in has also completed a medical test that is conducted in a ritual manner for the new season. In the released video, Lee enters the PSG indoor training center with a bright expression. He warms up by stretching and pulling up his thumb while cycling.
With this, Lee Kang-in’s second season of PSG has begun. Lee Kang-in played in 35 official matches under the trust of Luis Enrique last season, scoring three goals and four assists in the league, one goal and one assist in the UEFA Champions League, and five assists in total, including one goal and one assist in the Trophy de Champion. In the first year of his transfer to PSG, Lee Kang-in even lifted three championships including Ligue 1, Trope de Champion (French Super Cup), and Coupe de France (French Cup).
As he played well in a big club called PSG, many European clubs continued to pay attention. It received attention from multiple clubs, including Newcastle United in the English Premier League (EPL) and Italy’s Serie A Napoli. In the meantime, when Lee Kang-in missed the first training session of the PSG preseason on the 17th, rumors of a transfer burned even more. Local fans speculated that Lee Kang-in was in training to break up with the team or demand a transfer.
However, Lee Kang-in showed up at PSG training ground in a bright manner to completely dispel the transfer rumors. On the 18th, Vangjamain Quarez, a member of France’s Le Parisien, said, “There is nothing strange about Lee Kang-in’s absence from training. Lee Kang-in’s return was scheduled for next Monday.”
Lee Kang-in’s return has been delayed somewhat because the club has granted him additional leave to play in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. The French PSG report also said on Monday, “Lee played two matches for the Korean national team last month. As a result, he was given a few more days off.” 스포츠토토
Lee Kang-in also relieved his fans by announcing his joining of PSG by leaving a post titled “SOON” (soon) on his social network service (SNS) on the 20th. In addition, he revealed his personal training at his former team’s Majorca training ground.
PSG also has no intention of transferring Lee Kang-in. It has blocked other teams’ interest and has not even responded to negotiations. “The decision not to sell Lee shows the goal that PSG wants to build a competitive team centered on promising players,” France’s “Foot Mercato” said on Tuesday. “Logically, Lee has no reason to leave the team. He will stay at PSG next season.”
Coach Luiz Enrique also trusts Lee Kang-in as the future of his team. When asked what he thinks, Lee said in December last year, “Lee Kang-in is a very important player for us. He can play not only the right wing but also the right and left sides of midfielders. He has played as a fake No. 9 player and can play in all positions of offense,” and praised him for being a top-level player in terms of technology and has defense capabilities.